Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-09-12 at 15:07

HEADLINES
Gaza Toll Tops Sixty-Four Thousand
Hamas Leadership Strike in Qatar Sparks Rift
US Boosts Nuclear Warheads for Deterrence

The time is now 11:01 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

At 11:00 AM, the day’s developments across the Israel-Gaza theater, the broader Middle East, and allied capitals are shaping a complex mosaic of security, diplomacy, and consequences for civilians on all sides. In Gaza City, Israeli forces have intensified operations, with more than five hundred military targets struck in the latest phase of the campaign against Hamas. Israeli officials say the focus remains on dismantling terror infrastructure and high-rise compounds that have been repurposed for military use, while repeatedly stressing an effort to minimize civilian harm. The Gaza Health Ministry says the civilian toll in Gaza has risen to more than sixty-four thousand people killed or presumed dead, reflecting the scale of destruction in densely populated areas. Israel contends it has killed more than twenty-two thousand Hamas fighters in Gaza and that roughly one thousand six hundred militants have operated inside Israeli territory. The toll on Israeli forces in the ground offensive is reported at four hundred sixty-five, including two police officers and three Defense Ministry contractors.

In the wider Gulf and regional arena, the campaign against Hamas has produced ripples in diplomacy and security calculations. Israeli forces are reported to have targeted Hamas leadership in Qatar, a move that has drawn both condemnation and concern from regional partners. The United Arab Emirates summoned Israel’s deputy ambassador to protest what it called a “blatant and unacceptable” attack, signaling strains even among Israel’s close regional partners. Doha is hosting an emergency Arab-Islamic summit to discuss the incident, while it remains a hub for mediation efforts in Gaza. The UAE has also signaled that it may act on tensions arising from the strike, including questions about its own diplomatic postings in Israel. Israeli security authorities nevertheless assess that the Doha strike did not achieve its stated targets, even as the broader objective of pressuring Hamas remains central to Israeli strategy.

European capitals this week raised diplomatic alarms in response to comments from Jerusalem. Spain summoned Israel’s chargé d’affaires in Madrid after remarks from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office that Spain had made genocidal threats, a claim Spain rejected as false and slanderous. The United States echoed concern about restrictions on arms shipments and fuel deliveries to Israel and on entry bans affecting Israeli ministers, underscoring the sensitive balance between humanitarian considerations and security imperatives in Gaza and the broader region. In Europe, the Netherlands announced it would boycott next year’s Eurovision Song Contest if Israel participates, tying the decision to ongoing humanitarian concerns in Gaza and allegations of interference in past editions. Ireland and Spain have conveyed similar sentiments in different forms, highlighting the international dimension of cultural events intersecting with the conflict.

On the political and security front in Washington, United States Secretary of State’s top diplomat Marco Rubio is slated to visit Israel this weekend to demonstrate support amid regional tensions sparked by Israel’s actions in Qatar and the expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank. Rubio’s discussions are expected to center on reinforcing the goal that Hamas will not return to power in Gaza, the safe return of hostages, and a cautious approach to unilateral moves toward a Palestinian state, which Washington views as complicating prospects for peace. The talks will also cover concerns about anti-Israel actions at international forums and legal forums, including the...